Release coupling



@y ua n .r v G v /H.//./f///V C. M. HEETER RELEASE vCQUPLING Filed Jun 21 1922 V/Vvww Patented July 15, 1924.

ATE'I' RELEASE COUPLING.

Application led June 21, 192,2.k Serial No. 569,847.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. HEETER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Butler, in the county of VButler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Release Couplings, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates` to release couplings for well-casings. It has for its kobject to provide a joint of simple construction which will be easy to assemble and more eflicient in operation than the known constructions.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a release coupling comprising a pair of interengaging relatively movable members having a packing member interposed between the movable members and adapted to be compressed thereby, for sealing the joint. Such packing member, however, was not subjected to compression on all its surfaces,

so that at least one side of the member was left exposed when the parts of the joint were in the packed position; and hence it was found desirab-le to employ a second packing member in order to insure the eficient sealing of the joint. By my invention I overcome this defect by so constructing the relatively movable coupling members as to completely surround the packing member and subj ect it to compression on all sides in the packed position of the joint, whereby a single packing member will insure the eflicient packing of the oint. i

In order to facilitate assemblyy of the coupling and protect the packing member against mutilation, I further provide means for relatively positioning the coupling mem.- bers.

In -the drawings, which illustrate the preferred embodiment o-f the invention,-

Figure l is a central longitudinal sectional view of the release coupling, showing the positions of the parts before packing; and

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l, showing the positions of the parts after packing.

Referring to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, 1 and 2 represent a pair of telescoping coupling members internally threaded at one end, respectively, for engagement with the casing or pipe sections 3 and 4. The outer telescoping member l has an end portion 5 of greater internal diameter than the body portion of the member l and an inwardly facing shoulder 6 at the base of said end portion.` The inner telescopmg member 2 is provided with an end portion 7 having a smaller externalV diameter than that of thebody portion ofv the member 2, and has an outwardly facing shoulder 8V at the base of said end portion.

In the assembled position of the coupling members, as'shown in the drawings, the end portion 7 of the member 2 lits within the body portion of the member l, and the body portion of the member 2 lits within the end portion 5 of the member l, and the shoulders 6 and 8 are opposed to each other. It will be seen, by reference to Figure l,k

when it is desired to pack the joint saidbolts maybe sheared off by the co-action of the coupling members upon each other.

When the coupling members 1 and 2 are forced together to pack the joint, the shoulders 6 and 8 act upon the upper and lower faces of the packing member v10 to compress rit and consequently squeeze it laterally into firm engagement with the side walls of the end portions 5 and 7. The packing member is thus surrounded and compressed on all sides, and it is practically impossible with this construction for any gas or liquid to pass the joint. Thus a single packing member is all that is required to insure an absolutely leak-proof joint. The construction is much simpler than the known constructions, and much more enicient because the entire surface area of the packing is fully utilized.

The packing employed is preferably of elastic material, such as a rubber ring, and prior to assembling the parts this rubber ring is stretched over the end portion 7 of the coupling member 2 and positioned against the shoulder 8.

In order to facilitate the assembly of the coupling members and to prevent mutilation of the elastic packing during such ass'embly, the end portion 7 of the member 2 is made slightly longer than the end portion 5 of the member 1, so that, in telescopically engaging the members l and 2, the end portion 7 enters the bore of the body portion of tlie member l and thereby centers the member 2 with respect to the member l in advance of the entrance of the body portion of the member 2 intok the bore of the end portion 5 of the member l. This is an important feature of the construction, because it avoids any chance ot the elastic packing striking against the end of the end portion 5 of the member l and thus being mutilated as the coupling members are relatively positioned for telescopic interengagement. l f y rlhe present invention is not limited to the yexact details of construction disclosed,

"but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: l. A release coupling comprising two telescoping coupling members and a packing interposed between and entirely surrounded by said members in the unpacked as well asl the packed position of the oint, substan tially as described.

2. A release coupling comprising two telescoping coupling members having opposed shoulders, and a packing interposed between said shoulders and entirely surrounded by said members in the unpacked as well as the packed position of the joint, subst-antially as described.

3. A release coupling comprising two telescoping coupling members, a packing interposed between and entirely surrounded by said members in the unpacked as well as the packed position of the joint and adapted to be compressed between said members and frangible means securing said nembers against relative movement and in suchA relative position as to maintain said packing uncompressed, substantially as described.

4t. A release coupling comprising two telescoping coupling members having opposed shoulders, a packing interposed between said shoulders and entirely surrounded by said members in the unpacked as well as the packed position of the lioint, and rangible means holding said members against relative movement with said shoulders spaced a greater distanceapart than the thickness of said packing, substantially as described.

5. A release coupling comprising two telescoping coupling members, a packing element arranged upon one of said members and adapted to be compressed between said members for sealing` the joint therebetween, and means carried by one of said members for engaging the other of said members for relatively positioning said members in advance of the engagement of the body portion of the member carrying said means with the other member, substantially as described.

6. A release coupling comprising two telescoping members, the outer member' having an end portion of increased internal diameter to receive the body portion of the inneil member, the inner member having an end portion of reduced external diameter to fit the bore of the body portion of the outer mem-ber and a shoulder at the base of said end portion, and a packing element adapted to be arranged on the end portion of the inner member against said shoulder, the end portion of the inner member being of greater length than the end portion of the outer member whereby the said end portion enters the bore of the body portion of the outer member and centers the inner member with respect to the outer member in advance of the entrance of the body portion of the inner member into the bore of the end portion of the outer member, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES, M. HEETER. 

